US20150009614A1 - Hinge module and foldable device - Google Patents
Hinge module and foldable device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20150009614A1 US20150009614A1 US14/064,214 US201314064214A US2015009614A1 US 20150009614 A1 US20150009614 A1 US 20150009614A1 US 201314064214 A US201314064214 A US 201314064214A US 2015009614 A1 US2015009614 A1 US 2015009614A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- bracket
- shaft
- electromagnet
- magnetic element
- bearing
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1633—Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
- G06F1/1675—Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts
- G06F1/1681—Details related solely to hinges
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
- E05D—HINGES OR SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS
- E05D11/00—Additional features or accessories of hinges
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1615—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function
- G06F1/1616—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1633—Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
- G06F1/1675—Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts
- G06F1/1679—Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
- E05Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF
- E05Y2999/00—Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass
Definitions
- the invention relates to a foldable device and more particularly, to a hinge module and a foldable device.
- a notebook computer usually includes a host base, and a display connected to a lateral side of the host base through a hinge module. When in use, the display can be flipped open relative to a side of the host base so as to output images for users, and the host base is provided with a keyboard and a touch pad for inputting commands to the host base.
- the display provided with a touch input function has also become one new feature for the notebook computer. Accordingly, the users can perform the touch input function by using an icon or a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display.
- GUI graphical user interface
- a cam structure is adopted for increasing a torque or a resistance of the hinge module in a specific state (such as in an auto-lock state or a touch input state). Nevertheless, a wear behavior of the cam structure can shorten lifetime of the hinge module.
- the invention provides a hinge module capable of adjusting a torque thereof which is required for driving.
- the invention provides a foldable device having a hinge module capable of adjusting a torque thereof which is required for driving.
- a hinge module is provided, and adapted to be disposed between a first body and a second body to facilitate in rotating the second body relative to the first body.
- the hinge module includes a shaft, a first bracket, a second bracket, an electromagnet and a magnetic element.
- the first bracket is adapted to be fixed on the first body to fix a shaft.
- the second bracket is adapted to be fixed on the second body and passed through by the shaft, so that the second bracket is capable of being rotated relative to the first bracket.
- the electromagnet is directly or indirectly installed on the shaft.
- the magnetic element is directly or indirectly installed on the shaft, and capable of being attracted or repelled with the electromagnet under the magnetic force of the electromagnet.
- At least one of the electromagnet and the magnetic element is capable of being moved axially along the shaft but substantially incapable of being rotated with the shaft as an axis, such that when the electromagnet is activated by power, at least one of the electromagnet and the magnetic element is capable of being moved axially to a first position and to press the second bracket to increase a rotational friction, thereby increasing a torsion of a rotation of the second bracket relative to the first bracket.
- the invention provides a foldable device including a first body, a second body and a hinge module.
- a hinge module is adapted to be disposed between the first body and the second body to facilitate in rotating the second body relative to the first body.
- the hinge module includes a shaft, a first bracket, a second bracket, an electromagnet and a magnetic element.
- the first bracket is adapted to be fixed on the first body to fix a shaft.
- the second bracket is adapted to be fixed on the second body and passed through by the shaft, so that the second bracket is capable of being rotated relative to the first bracket.
- the electromagnet is directly or indirectly installed on the shaft.
- the magnetic element is directly or indirectly installed on the shaft, and capable of being attracted or repelled with the electromagnet under the magnetic force of the electromagnet.
- At least one of the electromagnet and the magnetic element is capable of being moved axially along the shaft but substantially incapable of being rotated with the shaft as an axis, such that when the electromagnet is activated by power, at least one of the electromagnet and the magnetic element is capable of being moved axially to a first position and to press the second bracket to increase a rotational friction, thereby increasing a torsion of a rotation of the second bracket relative to the first bracket.
- a combination of the electromagnet and the magnetic element is utilized in the invention for pressing the second bracket relative to the first bracket, so as to increase the torque required for the rotation of the second bracket relative to the first bracket.
- the electromagnet is driven by electricity to solve the wear behavior of the cam structure in conventional art.
- FIG. 1A is a three-dimensional view of a hinge module according to an embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 1B is a breakdown view of the hinge module depicted in FIG. 1A .
- FIG. 1C is a front view of the hinge module depicted in FIG. 1A .
- FIG. 1D is a sectional view of the hinge module depicted in FIG. 1A which is not under pressing.
- FIG. 1E is a sectional view of the hinge module depicted in FIG. 1A which is under pressing.
- FIG. 1F is a side view illustrating the hinge module depicted in FIG. 1A being applied to the foldable device in a close state.
- FIG. 1G is a side view illustrating the hinge module depicted in FIG. 1A being applied to the foldable device in an open state.
- FIG. 1H is a radial section of a shaft, a magnetic element and a spacer in a hinge module according to another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 2A is a three-dimensional view of a hinge module according to another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 2B is a front view of the hinge module depicted in FIG. 2A .
- FIG. 2C is a sectional view of the hinge module depicted in FIG. 2A .
- FIG. 3A is a three-dimensional view of a hinge module according to another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 3B is a front view of the hinge module depicted in FIG. 3A .
- FIG. 3C is a sectional view of the hinge module depicted in FIG. 3A .
- FIG. 4A is a three-dimensional view of a hinge module according to another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 4B is a front view of the hinge module depicted in FIG. 3A .
- FIG. 4C is a sectional view of the hinge module depicted in FIG. 3A .
- FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional view of a hinge module according to another embodiment of the invention.
- a hinge module 100 a is adapted to be disposed between a first body 12 and a second body 14 in a foldable device 10 .
- the first body 12 is, for example, a host base of a notebook computer
- the second body 14 is, for example, a display of the notebook computer.
- the hinge module 100 a includes a shaft 110 , a first bracket 120 , a second bracket 130 , an electromagnet 140 and a magnetic element 150 .
- the first bracket 120 is fixed on the first body 12 and has a first shaft hole 120 a to be passed through and fixed by the shaft 110 .
- the second bracket 130 is fixed on the second body 14 and has a second shaft hole 130 a to be pivotally passed through by the shaft 110 , so that the second bracket 130 is capable of being rotated relative to the first bracket 120 with the shaft 110 as an axis.
- the second bracket 130 has a bearing 132 to be passed through by the shaft 110 , and the bearing 132 includes a first lateral side 132 a and a second lateral side 132 b opposite to each other.
- the electromagnet 140 is directly or indirectly fixed on a first lateral side 132 a of the bearing 132 of the second bracket 130 and telescoped on the shaft 110 .
- the magnetic element 150 having a through via 150 a is telescoped on the shaft 110 on a side of the second bracket 130 near the second lateral side 132 b of the bearing 132 , and the magnetic element 150 is capable of being moved axially within a specific distance between a first position and a second position on the shaft 110 but incapable of being rotated with the shaft 110 as an axis. Therefore, when the electromagnet 140 on another side of the second bracket 130 is activated by power, the magnetic element 150 is moved to the first position to press the second lateral side 132 b of the bearing 132 of the second bracket 130 under a magnetic suction force generated by the electromagnet 140 .
- a rotational friction of the second bracket 130 is increased by a tight attachment between the magnetic element 150 and the second lateral side 132 b of the bearing 132 of the second bracket 130 in a face-to-face fashion, so as to increase a torsion required for a rotation of the second bracket 130 relative to the first bracket 120 .
- the bearing 132 has the second shaft hole 130 a to be passed through by the shaft 110 and located between the electromagnet 140 and the magnetic element 150 , and the electromagnet 140 is capable of magnetically attracting the magnetic element 150 to move, so that the magnetic element 150 can press the second lateral side 132 b of the bearing 132 , so as to provide said effect of increasing the rotational friction, as shown in FIG. 1E .
- the hinge module 100 a can further include a restraint element 160 which is also fixed and passed through by the shaft 110 , so that the magnetic element 150 is restricted to only move between the bearing 132 and the restraint element 160 (i.e., a distance between the bearing 132 and the restraint element 160 is greater than a thickness of the magnetic element 150 ).
- the magnetic element 150 can be attached to the restraint element 160 at the second position without touching the bearing 132 , so that the second bracket 132 can be rotated relative to the first bracket 120 with a basic torsion.
- the magnetic element 150 including a material having magnetizing ability can be attached to the restraint element 160 having magnetizing ability or magnetizability, as shown in FIG. 1D .
- the magnetic element 150 can be, for example, a metal element containing iron, and the restraint element 160 can be a magnet; or the magnetic element 150 can be a magnet, and the restraint element 160 can be a metal element containing iron or a magnet.
- the hinge module 100 a in order to prevent the magnetic element 150 from touching the bearing 132 in case the electromagnet 140 is not working, can further includes a spacer 170 having a shaft hole 170 a to be fixed and passed through by the shaft 110 , and the spacer 170 is sandwiched between the second bracket 130 and the restraint element 160 , as shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D .
- An outside diameter of the spacer 170 is more preferably to be slightly smaller than a pore diameter of the through via 150 a of the magnetic element 150 , so that the magnetic element 150 can be telescoped outside the spacer 170 , and to be moved axially on the spacer 170 in relative to the shaft 110 , as shown in FIGS. 1D and 1E .
- the electromagnet 140 magnetically attracts the magnetic element 150 , so that the magnetic element 150 can press the bearing 132 , as shown in FIG. 1E .
- the magnetic element 150 can be magnetically attached to the restraint element 160 without touching the bearing 132 , as shown in FIG. 1D .
- a plurality of methods can be utilized in order to restrict the magnetic element 150 to be only moved axially on the shaft 110 and between the second bracket 130 and the restraint element 160 .
- the magnetic element 150 is directly or indirectly telescoped on the shaft 110 tightly through the through via 150 a , or directly telescoped tightly on the spacer 170 fixed on the shaft 110 .
- FIG. 1 shows a plurality of methods in order to restrict the magnetic element 150 to be only moved axially on the shaft 110 and between the second bracket 130 and the restraint element 160 .
- the magnetic element 150 is fixed on the spacer 170 of the shaft (or directly on the shaft) so as to form an outer bevel surface 172 , and an inner bevel surface 152 is correspondingly formed on an inner side of the through via 150 a of the magnetic element 150 , so that the magnetic element 150 can be moved axially when being restricted from rotating after being telescoped on the spacer 170 (or the shaft).
- methods for fixing the magnetic element 150 so it cannot be rotated are not limited to above. Adhesives, solders, or interference structures of any shape which can be used to disable the magnetic element 150 from rotating all fall in the scope as claimed in the invention.
- the electromagnet 140 can be fixed on the shaft 110 without being rotated along with the rotation of the second bracket 130 , and can be further configured to move slightly and axially.
- the electromagnet 140 and the magnetic element 150 can be tightly attached to the first lateral side 132 a and the second lateral side 132 b of the bearing 132 of the second bracket 130 , respectively, in a face-to-face fashion by utilizing the magnetic suction force, so as increase more of the rotational friction.
- the hinge module 100 a can further includes one or more hollow elastic piece tubes 180 , and each of the elastic piece tubes 180 can be composed by one or more elastic washer.
- the elastic piece tubes 180 can press the bearing 132 by utilizing tight attachments of a head portion 110 a of the shaft 110 and a nut 110 b screwed to the shaft 110 , so as to generate a basic torsion required for a rotation of the bearing 132 relative to the shaft 110 .
- the elastic piece tubes 180 can provide the torsion required for a rotation of the bearing 132 relative to the shaft 110 , and together with the electromagnet 140 and the magnetic element 150 , the torsion required for the rotation of the bearing 132 relative to the shaft 110 can be further increased.
- the electromagnet 140 can be activated to generate a magnetic field to affect the magnetic element 150 , so that the magnetic element 150 can press the second bracket 130 relative to the shaft 110 , as shown in FIG. 1E . Accordingly, the torsion required for the rotation of the bearing 132 relative to the shaft 110 can be increased, thereby increasing the torsion required for the rotation of the second body 14 relative to the first body 12 as described in foregoing paragraphs and omitted herein.
- the shaft 132 of the second bracket 130 is located between the electromagnet 140 and the magnetic element 150 , so that the magnetic element 150 can press the bearing 132 by utilizing the magnetic suction force between the electromagnet 140 and the magnetic element 150 .
- FIGS. 1A referring to another embodiment of the invention of FIGS.
- the magnetic element 150 is changed to be located between the bearing 132 of the second bracket 130 and the electromagnet 140 , and a distance between the bearing 132 and the electromagnet 140 is greater than a thickness of the magnetic element 150 so that the magnetic element 150 can be moved axially to the first position which is close to the bearing 132 , or to the second position which is far away from the bearing 132 .
- a different between the present embodiment and the previous embodiment is that, when the electromagnet 140 is activated by power, the magnetic element 150 presses the first lateral side 132 a of the bearing 132 in a face-to-face fashion by utilizing a magnetic repulsion force between the electromagnet 140 and the magnetic element 150 , so as to provide the effect of increasing the rotational fraction. Also, methods for fixing the magnetic element 150 so it cannot be rotated are identical to those described in the previous embodiment, thus related description is omitted herein.
- FIG. 1A In all of embodiments of FIG. 1A , FIG. 2A and the following description, only differences between said embodiment are discussed, and same or similar reference numbers represent the same or similar elements. Accordingly, no further description thereof is provided.
- a hinge module 100 c of the present embodiment further includes an angle detector for detecting an included angle between the first bracket 120 and the second bracket 130 .
- the angle detector can be a variable resistor 190 including a fixing element 190 a and a movable element 190 b .
- the fixing element 190 a is fixed on the shaft 110
- the movable element 190 b is directly fixed on the bearing 132 of the second bracket 130 , or indirectly fixed on the bearing 132 of the second bracket 130 through the electromagnet 140 , so as to be rotated synchronously with the second bracket 130 .
- an included angle between the fixing element 190 a and the movable element 190 b (i.e., which is equivalent to the include angle between the first bracket 120 and the second bracket 130 ) can be obtained from a resistance value provided by the variable resistor 190 . Therefore, the electromagnet 140 can be timely driven according to a variation of the include angle between the first body 12 and the second body 14 to generate the magnetic field, so as to affect the magnetic element 150 to press the second bracket 130 , thereby increasing the torsion required for the rotation of the second bracket 130 relative to the first bracket 120 .
- the electromagnet 140 is driven to start working as to increase the torsion of the display, so that the display can be maintained at the include angle without shaking when the user is performing a touch operation to the display with fingers.
- a hinge module 100 d of the present embodiment further includes an angle detector including the variable resistor 190 depicted in FIGS. 3A to 3C of the previous embodiment for confirming the included angle between the first bracket 120 and the second bracket 130 .
- the variable resistor 190 also includes the fixing element 190 a and the movable element 190 b .
- the fixing element 190 a is fixed on the shaft 110
- the movable element 190 b is directly or indirectly fixed on the bearing 132 of the second bracket 130 so as to be rotated synchronously with the second bracket 130 .
- the included angle between the first bracket 120 and the second bracket 130 can be obtained from the resistance value provided by the variable resistor 190 . Therefore, an included angle between the fixing element 190 a and the movable element 190 b (i.e., which is equivalent to the include angle between the first bracket 120 and the second bracket 130 ) can be obtained from a resistance value provided by the variable resistor 190 . Therefore, the electromagnet 140 can be timely driven according to a variation of the include angle between the first body 12 and the second body 14 to generate the magnetic field, so as to affect the magnetic element 150 to press the second bracket 130 , thereby increasing the torsion required for the rotation of the second bracket 130 relative to the first bracket 120 .
- the angle detector with the variable resistor 190 is utilized to obtain the variation of the include angle between the first body 12 and the second body 14 as depicted in FIG. 1F , and a control command can be generated according to the variation of the include angle between the first body 12 and the second body 14 thereby driving the electromagnet 140 .
- a control command can be generated according to the variation of the include angle between the first body 12 and the second body 14 thereby driving the electromagnet 140 .
- a hinge module 100 e of the present embodiment utilizes a triggering member 192 as the angle detector to obtain a result of whether the variation of the include angle between the first body 12 and the second body 14 is a preset angle or falls in a preset angle range, so that the control command can be generate correspondingly to drive the electromagnet 140 .
- the triggering member 192 includes a triggering cam 192 a and a triggering switch 192 b .
- the triggering cam 192 a is directly or indirectly fixed on the second bracket 130 , so as to be rotated synchronously with the second bracket 130 in relative to the shaft 110 , and the triggering switch 192 a is fixed on a rotation path of the triggering cam 192 a , so that the second bracket 130 is touched and pressed by the triggering cam 192 a when rotating the second bracket 130 relative to the first bracket 120 to a preset angle, so that the control command is generated to drive the electromagnet 140 .
- the invention further provides a controlling method for the hinge module 100 a depicted in FIG. 1A or hinge modules of other embodiments, it is explained hereinafter using the hinge module 100 a depicted in FIG. 1A as an example.
- the controlling method includes driving the electromagnet 140 according to a control command to generate a magnetic field so as to affect the magnetic element 150 to press the second bracket 130 (e.g., the bearing 132 ) relative to the shaft 110 , thereby adjusting a torsion required for a rotation of the second bracket 130 relative to the first bracket 120 .
- the control command can be generated according a variation of an included angle between the first bracket 120 and the second bracket 130 , such that the torsion required for the rotation of the second bracket 130 relative to the first bracket 120 can be adjusted according to the variation of the included angle between the first bracket 120 and the second bracket 130 .
- a resistance variation of the variable resistor 190 is utilized to obtain the include angle between the first bracket 120 and the second bracket 130 , and a control command can be generated by a computer program of the foldable device 10 according to the include angle between the first body 120 and the second body 130 , thereby driving the electromagnet 140 .
- the control command is generated to drive the electromagnet 140 according to whether the triggering switch 192 b of the triggering member 192 is pressed by the triggering cam 192 a.
- the electromagnet 140 can be further operated by using a control command.
- the control command includes a command for altering a current size provided to the electromagnet 140 so as to change a strength of the magnetic field generated by the electromagnet 140 , thereby adjusting a strength for pressing the magnetic element 150 to the second bracket 130 .
- the control command also includes a command for altering a current direction provided to the electromagnet 140 so as to change a direction of the magnetic field generated by the electromagnet 140 , thereby controlling the electromagnet 140 to either press the second bracket 130 , or move far away from the second bracket 130 .
- control command can also be generated according to an included angle requested by the user through a software (e.g., a computer program) or a hardware (e.g., a button switch) of the foldable device 10 , so as to drive the electromagnet 140 .
- a software e.g., a computer program
- a hardware e.g., a button switch
- purpose of pressing the magnetic element 150 to the second bracket 130 is accomplished by having the electromagnet 140 being fixed while the magnetic element 150 is capable of being attracted or repelled with the electromagnet 140 under the magnetic force of the electromagnet 140 .
- the electromagnet 140 and the magnetic element 150 can both be moved axially, so that the electromagnet 140 and the magnetic element 150 can be respectively pressed to two sides of the second bracket 130 as to tightly clamp the second bracket 130 by utilizing the magnetic suction force generated by the electromagnet 140 . But no matter how, the one pressed on the second bracket 130 needs to be substantially incapable of being rotated, so that the friction of the second bracket 130 can be increased.
- a combination of the electromagnet and the magnetic element is utilized in the invention for pressing the second bracket relative to the first bracket, so as to increase the torque required for the rotation of the second bracket relative to the first bracket.
- the electromagnet is driven by electricity to solve the wear behavior of the cam structure in conventional art.
- the electromagnet can be driven according to the variation of the included angle between the first bracket and the second bracket, or the requirement of the user, so as to press the magnetic element to the second bracket (e.g., the bearing of the second bracket).
- control command can also be generated according to any included angle requested by the user through a software (e.g., a computer program) or a hardware (e.g., a button switch) of the foldable device, so as to drive the electromagnet.
- a software e.g., a computer program
- a hardware e.g., a button switch
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Abstract
Description
- This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 102123851, filed on Jul. 3, 2013. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The invention relates to a foldable device and more particularly, to a hinge module and a foldable device.
- 2. Description of Related Art
- Notebook computers have gradually replaced desktop computers and become a mainstream product in personal computers. A notebook computer usually includes a host base, and a display connected to a lateral side of the host base through a hinge module. When in use, the display can be flipped open relative to a side of the host base so as to output images for users, and the host base is provided with a keyboard and a touch pad for inputting commands to the host base.
- With advancements of technologies, the display provided with a touch input function has also become one new feature for the notebook computer. Accordingly, the users can perform the touch input function by using an icon or a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display. However, a cam structure is adopted for increasing a torque or a resistance of the hinge module in a specific state (such as in an auto-lock state or a touch input state). Nevertheless, a wear behavior of the cam structure can shorten lifetime of the hinge module.
- The invention provides a hinge module capable of adjusting a torque thereof which is required for driving.
- The invention provides a foldable device having a hinge module capable of adjusting a torque thereof which is required for driving.
- A hinge module is provided, and adapted to be disposed between a first body and a second body to facilitate in rotating the second body relative to the first body. The hinge module includes a shaft, a first bracket, a second bracket, an electromagnet and a magnetic element. The first bracket is adapted to be fixed on the first body to fix a shaft. The second bracket is adapted to be fixed on the second body and passed through by the shaft, so that the second bracket is capable of being rotated relative to the first bracket. The electromagnet is directly or indirectly installed on the shaft. The magnetic element is directly or indirectly installed on the shaft, and capable of being attracted or repelled with the electromagnet under the magnetic force of the electromagnet. At least one of the electromagnet and the magnetic element is capable of being moved axially along the shaft but substantially incapable of being rotated with the shaft as an axis, such that when the electromagnet is activated by power, at least one of the electromagnet and the magnetic element is capable of being moved axially to a first position and to press the second bracket to increase a rotational friction, thereby increasing a torsion of a rotation of the second bracket relative to the first bracket.
- The invention provides a foldable device including a first body, a second body and a hinge module. A hinge module is adapted to be disposed between the first body and the second body to facilitate in rotating the second body relative to the first body. The hinge module includes a shaft, a first bracket, a second bracket, an electromagnet and a magnetic element. The first bracket is adapted to be fixed on the first body to fix a shaft. The second bracket is adapted to be fixed on the second body and passed through by the shaft, so that the second bracket is capable of being rotated relative to the first bracket. The electromagnet is directly or indirectly installed on the shaft. The magnetic element is directly or indirectly installed on the shaft, and capable of being attracted or repelled with the electromagnet under the magnetic force of the electromagnet. At least one of the electromagnet and the magnetic element is capable of being moved axially along the shaft but substantially incapable of being rotated with the shaft as an axis, such that when the electromagnet is activated by power, at least one of the electromagnet and the magnetic element is capable of being moved axially to a first position and to press the second bracket to increase a rotational friction, thereby increasing a torsion of a rotation of the second bracket relative to the first bracket.
- In summary, a combination of the electromagnet and the magnetic element is utilized in the invention for pressing the second bracket relative to the first bracket, so as to increase the torque required for the rotation of the second bracket relative to the first bracket. Further, in the invention, the electromagnet is driven by electricity to solve the wear behavior of the cam structure in conventional art.
- To make the above features and advantages of the disclosure more comprehensible, several embodiments accompanied with drawings are described in detail as follows.
-
FIG. 1A is a three-dimensional view of a hinge module according to an embodiment of the invention. -
FIG. 1B is a breakdown view of the hinge module depicted inFIG. 1A . -
FIG. 1C is a front view of the hinge module depicted inFIG. 1A . -
FIG. 1D is a sectional view of the hinge module depicted inFIG. 1A which is not under pressing. -
FIG. 1E is a sectional view of the hinge module depicted inFIG. 1A which is under pressing. -
FIG. 1F is a side view illustrating the hinge module depicted inFIG. 1A being applied to the foldable device in a close state. -
FIG. 1G is a side view illustrating the hinge module depicted inFIG. 1A being applied to the foldable device in an open state. -
FIG. 1H is a radial section of a shaft, a magnetic element and a spacer in a hinge module according to another embodiment of the invention. -
FIG. 2A is a three-dimensional view of a hinge module according to another embodiment of the invention. -
FIG. 2B is a front view of the hinge module depicted inFIG. 2A . -
FIG. 2C is a sectional view of the hinge module depicted inFIG. 2A . -
FIG. 3A is a three-dimensional view of a hinge module according to another embodiment of the invention. -
FIG. 3B is a front view of the hinge module depicted inFIG. 3A . -
FIG. 3C is a sectional view of the hinge module depicted inFIG. 3A . -
FIG. 4A is a three-dimensional view of a hinge module according to another embodiment of the invention. -
FIG. 4B is a front view of the hinge module depicted inFIG. 3A . -
FIG. 4C is a sectional view of the hinge module depicted inFIG. 3A . -
FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional view of a hinge module according to another embodiment of the invention. - Referring to
FIGS. 1A , 1B, 1C, 1D and 1F together, in the present embodiment, ahinge module 100 a is adapted to be disposed between afirst body 12 and asecond body 14 in afoldable device 10. Thefirst body 12 is, for example, a host base of a notebook computer, and thesecond body 14 is, for example, a display of the notebook computer. Thehinge module 100 a includes ashaft 110, afirst bracket 120, asecond bracket 130, anelectromagnet 140 and amagnetic element 150. Thefirst bracket 120 is fixed on thefirst body 12 and has afirst shaft hole 120 a to be passed through and fixed by theshaft 110. Thesecond bracket 130 is fixed on thesecond body 14 and has asecond shaft hole 130 a to be pivotally passed through by theshaft 110, so that thesecond bracket 130 is capable of being rotated relative to thefirst bracket 120 with theshaft 110 as an axis. Thesecond bracket 130 has abearing 132 to be passed through by theshaft 110, and thebearing 132 includes a firstlateral side 132 a and a secondlateral side 132 b opposite to each other. Theelectromagnet 140 is directly or indirectly fixed on a firstlateral side 132 a of the bearing 132 of thesecond bracket 130 and telescoped on theshaft 110. Themagnetic element 150 having a through via 150 a is telescoped on theshaft 110 on a side of thesecond bracket 130 near the secondlateral side 132 b of thebearing 132, and themagnetic element 150 is capable of being moved axially within a specific distance between a first position and a second position on theshaft 110 but incapable of being rotated with theshaft 110 as an axis. Therefore, when theelectromagnet 140 on another side of thesecond bracket 130 is activated by power, themagnetic element 150 is moved to the first position to press the secondlateral side 132 b of the bearing 132 of thesecond bracket 130 under a magnetic suction force generated by theelectromagnet 140. A rotational friction of thesecond bracket 130 is increased by a tight attachment between themagnetic element 150 and the secondlateral side 132 b of the bearing 132 of thesecond bracket 130 in a face-to-face fashion, so as to increase a torsion required for a rotation of thesecond bracket 130 relative to thefirst bracket 120. - In the present embodiment, to be more specifically, the
bearing 132 has thesecond shaft hole 130 a to be passed through by theshaft 110 and located between theelectromagnet 140 and themagnetic element 150, and theelectromagnet 140 is capable of magnetically attracting themagnetic element 150 to move, so that themagnetic element 150 can press the secondlateral side 132 b of thebearing 132, so as to provide said effect of increasing the rotational friction, as shown inFIG. 1E . - In the present embodiment, the
hinge module 100 a can further include arestraint element 160 which is also fixed and passed through by theshaft 110, so that themagnetic element 150 is restricted to only move between the bearing 132 and the restraint element 160 (i.e., a distance between the bearing 132 and therestraint element 160 is greater than a thickness of the magnetic element 150). In case theelectromagnet 140 is not working, themagnetic element 150 can be attached to therestraint element 160 at the second position without touching thebearing 132, so that thesecond bracket 132 can be rotated relative to thefirst bracket 120 with a basic torsion. More specifically, in case theelectromagnet 140 is not working, themagnetic element 150 including a material having magnetizing ability can be attached to therestraint element 160 having magnetizing ability or magnetizability, as shown inFIG. 1D . For instance, themagnetic element 150 can be, for example, a metal element containing iron, and therestraint element 160 can be a magnet; or themagnetic element 150 can be a magnet, and therestraint element 160 can be a metal element containing iron or a magnet. - In the present embodiment, in order to prevent the
magnetic element 150 from touching thebearing 132 in case theelectromagnet 140 is not working, thehinge module 100 a can further includes aspacer 170 having ashaft hole 170 a to be fixed and passed through by theshaft 110, and thespacer 170 is sandwiched between thesecond bracket 130 and therestraint element 160, as shown inFIGS. 1C and 1D . An outside diameter of thespacer 170 is more preferably to be slightly smaller than a pore diameter of the through via 150 a of themagnetic element 150, so that themagnetic element 150 can be telescoped outside thespacer 170, and to be moved axially on thespacer 170 in relative to theshaft 110, as shown inFIGS. 1D and 1E . Therefore, in case theelectromagnet 140 is working, theelectromagnet 140 magnetically attracts themagnetic element 150, so that themagnetic element 150 can press thebearing 132, as shown inFIG. 1E . In addition, in case theelectromagnet 140 is not working, themagnetic element 150 can be magnetically attached to therestraint element 160 without touching thebearing 132, as shown inFIG. 1D . - In the present embodiment, a plurality of methods can be utilized in order to restrict the
magnetic element 150 to be only moved axially on theshaft 110 and between thesecond bracket 130 and therestraint element 160. For instance, themagnetic element 150 is directly or indirectly telescoped on theshaft 110 tightly through the through via 150 a, or directly telescoped tightly on thespacer 170 fixed on theshaft 110. Alternately, as shown in another embodiment ofFIG. 1H , themagnetic element 150 is fixed on thespacer 170 of the shaft (or directly on the shaft) so as to form anouter bevel surface 172, and aninner bevel surface 152 is correspondingly formed on an inner side of the through via 150 a of themagnetic element 150, so that themagnetic element 150 can be moved axially when being restricted from rotating after being telescoped on the spacer 170 (or the shaft). However, methods for fixing themagnetic element 150 so it cannot be rotated are not limited to above. Adhesives, solders, or interference structures of any shape which can be used to disable themagnetic element 150 from rotating all fall in the scope as claimed in the invention. - In another embodiment, the
electromagnet 140 can be fixed on theshaft 110 without being rotated along with the rotation of thesecond bracket 130, and can be further configured to move slightly and axially. As a result, when theelectromagnet 140 is activated by power, theelectromagnet 140 and themagnetic element 150 can be tightly attached to the firstlateral side 132 a and the secondlateral side 132 b of the bearing 132 of thesecond bracket 130, respectively, in a face-to-face fashion by utilizing the magnetic suction force, so as increase more of the rotational friction. - In the present embodiment, the
hinge module 100 a can further includes one or more hollowelastic piece tubes 180, and each of theelastic piece tubes 180 can be composed by one or more elastic washer. Theelastic piece tubes 180 can press the bearing 132 by utilizing tight attachments of ahead portion 110 a of theshaft 110 and anut 110 b screwed to theshaft 110, so as to generate a basic torsion required for a rotation of thebearing 132 relative to theshaft 110. It should be noted that, theelastic piece tubes 180 can provide the torsion required for a rotation of thebearing 132 relative to theshaft 110, and together with theelectromagnet 140 and themagnetic element 150, the torsion required for the rotation of thebearing 132 relative to theshaft 110 can be further increased. - Referring to
FIG. 1G , when thefirst body 12 and thesecond body 14 in thefoldable device 10 are in use and opened to one specific included angle, in order to maintain a stability of the included angle between thefirst body 12 and thesecond body 14, theelectromagnet 140 can be activated to generate a magnetic field to affect themagnetic element 150, so that themagnetic element 150 can press thesecond bracket 130 relative to theshaft 110, as shown inFIG. 1E . Accordingly, the torsion required for the rotation of thebearing 132 relative to theshaft 110 can be increased, thereby increasing the torsion required for the rotation of thesecond body 14 relative to thefirst body 12 as described in foregoing paragraphs and omitted herein. - In the embodiment of
FIG. 1A , theshaft 132 of thesecond bracket 130 is located between theelectromagnet 140 and themagnetic element 150, so that themagnetic element 150 can press the bearing 132 by utilizing the magnetic suction force between theelectromagnet 140 and themagnetic element 150. However, referring to another embodiment of the invention ofFIGS. 2A , 2B and 2C, in ahinge module 100 b of the present embodiment, themagnetic element 150 is changed to be located between the bearing 132 of thesecond bracket 130 and theelectromagnet 140, and a distance between the bearing 132 and theelectromagnet 140 is greater than a thickness of themagnetic element 150 so that themagnetic element 150 can be moved axially to the first position which is close to thebearing 132, or to the second position which is far away from thebearing 132. A different between the present embodiment and the previous embodiment is that, when theelectromagnet 140 is activated by power, themagnetic element 150 presses the firstlateral side 132 a of thebearing 132 in a face-to-face fashion by utilizing a magnetic repulsion force between theelectromagnet 140 and themagnetic element 150, so as to provide the effect of increasing the rotational fraction. Also, methods for fixing themagnetic element 150 so it cannot be rotated are identical to those described in the previous embodiment, thus related description is omitted herein. - In all of embodiments of
FIG. 1A ,FIG. 2A and the following description, only differences between said embodiment are discussed, and same or similar reference numbers represent the same or similar elements. Accordingly, no further description thereof is provided. - Referring to
FIGS. 3A , 3B and 3C, in comparison with thehinge module 100 a depicted inFIG. 1A , ahinge module 100 c of the present embodiment further includes an angle detector for detecting an included angle between thefirst bracket 120 and thesecond bracket 130. The angle detector can be avariable resistor 190 including a fixingelement 190 a and amovable element 190 b. The fixingelement 190 a is fixed on theshaft 110, and themovable element 190 b is directly fixed on the bearing 132 of thesecond bracket 130, or indirectly fixed on the bearing 132 of thesecond bracket 130 through theelectromagnet 140, so as to be rotated synchronously with thesecond bracket 130. Therefore, an included angle between the fixingelement 190 a and themovable element 190 b (i.e., which is equivalent to the include angle between thefirst bracket 120 and the second bracket 130) can be obtained from a resistance value provided by thevariable resistor 190. Therefore, theelectromagnet 140 can be timely driven according to a variation of the include angle between thefirst body 12 and thesecond body 14 to generate the magnetic field, so as to affect themagnetic element 150 to press thesecond bracket 130, thereby increasing the torsion required for the rotation of thesecond bracket 130 relative to thefirst bracket 120. For instance, when the display of thesecond body 14 is opened to 120 degrees in relative to the host base of thefirst body 12, theelectromagnet 140 is driven to start working as to increase the torsion of the display, so that the display can be maintained at the include angle without shaking when the user is performing a touch operation to the display with fingers. - Referring to
FIGS. 4A , 4B and 4C, in comparison with thehinge module 100 b depicted inFIG. 2A , ahinge module 100 d of the present embodiment further includes an angle detector including thevariable resistor 190 depicted inFIGS. 3A to 3C of the previous embodiment for confirming the included angle between thefirst bracket 120 and thesecond bracket 130. Thevariable resistor 190 also includes the fixingelement 190 a and themovable element 190 b. The fixingelement 190 a is fixed on theshaft 110, and themovable element 190 b is directly or indirectly fixed on the bearing 132 of thesecond bracket 130 so as to be rotated synchronously with thesecond bracket 130. Therefore, the included angle between thefirst bracket 120 and thesecond bracket 130 can be obtained from the resistance value provided by thevariable resistor 190. Therefore, an included angle between the fixingelement 190 a and themovable element 190 b (i.e., which is equivalent to the include angle between thefirst bracket 120 and the second bracket 130) can be obtained from a resistance value provided by thevariable resistor 190. Therefore, theelectromagnet 140 can be timely driven according to a variation of the include angle between thefirst body 12 and thesecond body 14 to generate the magnetic field, so as to affect themagnetic element 150 to press thesecond bracket 130, thereby increasing the torsion required for the rotation of thesecond bracket 130 relative to thefirst bracket 120. - In the embodiment of the
FIG. 3A and the embodiment ofFIG. 4A , the angle detector with thevariable resistor 190 is utilized to obtain the variation of the include angle between thefirst body 12 and thesecond body 14 as depicted inFIG. 1F , and a control command can be generated according to the variation of the include angle between thefirst body 12 and thesecond body 14 thereby driving theelectromagnet 140. However, referring to yet another embodiment of the invention inFIG. 5 , ahinge module 100 e of the present embodiment utilizes a triggeringmember 192 as the angle detector to obtain a result of whether the variation of the include angle between thefirst body 12 and thesecond body 14 is a preset angle or falls in a preset angle range, so that the control command can be generate correspondingly to drive theelectromagnet 140. In the present embodiment, the triggeringmember 192 includes a triggeringcam 192 a and a triggeringswitch 192 b. The triggeringcam 192 a is directly or indirectly fixed on thesecond bracket 130, so as to be rotated synchronously with thesecond bracket 130 in relative to theshaft 110, and the triggeringswitch 192 a is fixed on a rotation path of the triggeringcam 192 a, so that thesecond bracket 130 is touched and pressed by the triggeringcam 192 a when rotating thesecond bracket 130 relative to thefirst bracket 120 to a preset angle, so that the control command is generated to drive theelectromagnet 140. - The invention further provides a controlling method for the
hinge module 100 a depicted inFIG. 1A or hinge modules of other embodiments, it is explained hereinafter using thehinge module 100 a depicted inFIG. 1A as an example. Referring toFIG. 1A , the controlling method includes driving theelectromagnet 140 according to a control command to generate a magnetic field so as to affect themagnetic element 150 to press the second bracket 130 (e.g., the bearing 132) relative to theshaft 110, thereby adjusting a torsion required for a rotation of thesecond bracket 130 relative to thefirst bracket 120. The control command can be generated according a variation of an included angle between thefirst bracket 120 and thesecond bracket 130, such that the torsion required for the rotation of thesecond bracket 130 relative to thefirst bracket 120 can be adjusted according to the variation of the included angle between thefirst bracket 120 and thesecond bracket 130. - In the embodiment of the
FIG. 3A and the embodiment ofFIG. 4A , a resistance variation of thevariable resistor 190 is utilized to obtain the include angle between thefirst bracket 120 and thesecond bracket 130, and a control command can be generated by a computer program of thefoldable device 10 according to the include angle between thefirst body 120 and thesecond body 130, thereby driving theelectromagnet 140. Further, in the embodiment ofFIG. 5 , the control command is generated to drive theelectromagnet 140 according to whether the triggeringswitch 192 b of the triggeringmember 192 is pressed by the triggeringcam 192 a. - In the foregoing embodiments of the invention, the
electromagnet 140 can be further operated by using a control command. For instance, the control command includes a command for altering a current size provided to theelectromagnet 140 so as to change a strength of the magnetic field generated by theelectromagnet 140, thereby adjusting a strength for pressing themagnetic element 150 to thesecond bracket 130. Furthermore, the control command also includes a command for altering a current direction provided to theelectromagnet 140 so as to change a direction of the magnetic field generated by theelectromagnet 140, thereby controlling theelectromagnet 140 to either press thesecond bracket 130, or move far away from thesecond bracket 130. Moreover, the control command can also be generated according to an included angle requested by the user through a software (e.g., a computer program) or a hardware (e.g., a button switch) of thefoldable device 10, so as to drive theelectromagnet 140. - In the foregoing embodiments, purpose of pressing the
magnetic element 150 to thesecond bracket 130 is accomplished by having theelectromagnet 140 being fixed while themagnetic element 150 is capable of being attracted or repelled with theelectromagnet 140 under the magnetic force of theelectromagnet 140. However, in other possible embodiments, a design having themagnetic element 150 being fixed while theelectromagnet 140 is capable of being moved axially, that is, when theelectromagnet 140 is activated by power, themagnetic element 150 can be moved to press thesecond bracket 130 by utilizing of the magnetic suction force and the magnetic repulsion force of theelectromagnet 140. In a more extreme embodiment, theelectromagnet 140 and themagnetic element 150 can both be moved axially, so that theelectromagnet 140 and themagnetic element 150 can be respectively pressed to two sides of thesecond bracket 130 as to tightly clamp thesecond bracket 130 by utilizing the magnetic suction force generated by theelectromagnet 140. But no matter how, the one pressed on thesecond bracket 130 needs to be substantially incapable of being rotated, so that the friction of thesecond bracket 130 can be increased. - In summary, a combination of the electromagnet and the magnetic element is utilized in the invention for pressing the second bracket relative to the first bracket, so as to increase the torque required for the rotation of the second bracket relative to the first bracket. Further, in the invention, the electromagnet is driven by electricity to solve the wear behavior of the cam structure in conventional art. Furthermore, in the invention, the electromagnet can be driven according to the variation of the included angle between the first bracket and the second bracket, or the requirement of the user, so as to press the magnetic element to the second bracket (e.g., the bearing of the second bracket). Moreover, in the invention, the control command can also be generated according to any included angle requested by the user through a software (e.g., a computer program) or a hardware (e.g., a button switch) of the foldable device, so as to drive the electromagnet. Accordingly, when being applied to a foldable electronic device having a touch screen, such as notebook computers, transformer tablet computers or mobile phones, the stability of the angle of the touch screen is ensured when the touch screen is touched by the user.
- It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present disclosure cover modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
Claims (23)
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| TW102123851 | 2013-07-03 | ||
| TW102123851A TWI525261B (en) | 2013-07-03 | 2013-07-03 | Hinge module and foldable device |
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| US20150009614A1 true US20150009614A1 (en) | 2015-01-08 |
| US9244497B2 US9244497B2 (en) | 2016-01-26 |
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| US (1) | US9244497B2 (en) |
| CN (1) | CN104279221B (en) |
| TW (1) | TWI525261B (en) |
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| US20230266800A1 (en) * | 2022-02-22 | 2023-08-24 | Apple Inc. | Electronic devices with rotary magnetic latches |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| TW201502388A (en) | 2015-01-16 |
| CN104279221B (en) | 2016-12-14 |
| TWI525261B (en) | 2016-03-11 |
| CN104279221A (en) | 2015-01-14 |
| US9244497B2 (en) | 2016-01-26 |
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